Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Save the Children, others suspend Afghanistan efforts after Taliban bar on female staff

Afghan women chant slogans during a protest against the ban on university education for women, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.  (AP Photo, File) Afghan women chant slogans during a protest against the ban on university education for women, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.  (AP Photo, File)
Share
KABUL -

Three big international aid agencies including Save the Children said on Sunday they were suspending their humanitarian programs in Afghanistan in response to the Taliban-run administration's order to stop female employees from working.

The administration on Saturday ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to send female staff home until further notice because some had not adhered to the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic dresscode for women - a move condemned globally.

Three NGOs - Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE International - said in a joint statement that they were suspending their programs as they awaited clarity on the administration's order.

"We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without our female staff," the statement said, adding that, without women driving the effort, they would not have reached millions of Afghans in need since August last year.

The suspension of some aid programs that millions of Afghans access comes at a time when more than half the population relies on humanitarian aid, according to aid agencies, and during the mountainous nation's coldest season.

The joint statement also highlighted the effect of the ban on female staff on thousands of jobs in the midst of an enormous economic crisis.

Earlier, international aid agency AfghanAid said it was immediately suspending operations while it consulted with other organizations, and that other NGOs were taking similar actions.

Reporting by Kabul Newsroom; Writing by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Hugh Lawson

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Pasquale Monaco says he’s debating whether to keep renting out the two-bedroom basement apartment of the Montreal building he owns after it was flooded — again — in August, when the remnants of tropical storm Debby sent four feet of water rushing into the space.

Childhood sleep issues may raise suicide risk, study finds

If your child sometimes has trouble sleeping, it may be easy to chalk it up to a phase they will grow out of one day. But a new study suggests possible serious consequences for this line of thought — such as a higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts when they are older.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.